[08/06/08 - 03:31 PM]The Big Balls Are Back!! ABC Picks Up "Wipeout" for a Second Season "Wipeout" represents TV's highest-rated freshman summer series (for any network) in three years among adults 18-49.

[via press release from ABC]

THE BIG BALLS ARE BACK!! ABC PICKS UP "WIPEOUT" FOR A SECOND SEASON

"Wipeout," ABC's wildly popular new reality series, has been picked up for a second season. Twenty-four thrill-seekers will compete in the world's largest extreme obstacle course designed to provide the most spills, face plants and wipeouts ever seen on television.

A hit summer series for ABC, "Wipeout" dominates Tuesday's 8:00 o'clock hour in Total Viewers and across each of the key Adult demographics (AD18-34/AD18-49/AD25-54). In its six telecasts to date, "Wipeout" has consistently ranked as the No. 2 show of the week in both Total Viewers and Adults 18-49. On average, the ABC freshman series leads NBC's competing new series, "Celebrity Family Feud," in the hour by 2.4 million viewers and by 81% in Adults 18-49. Since its debut, "Wipeout" stands as the summer's No. 1 TV program with Men 18-49 and Men 25-54, and is the No. 2 show in Total Viewers and Adults 18-49, behind only NBC's "America's Got Talent" and Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," respectively. The No. 1 new series of Summer 2008 in viewers and young adults, "Wipeout" represents TV's highest-rated freshman summer series (for any net) in three years in Adults 18-49 -- since the initial season of "Dancing with the Stars" in Summer 2005.

Each week 24 daring new contestants of all ages, shapes and sizes will go head to head through four rounds of grueling and physically demanding but wildly hilarious obstacle courses to win the title of "Wipeout Champion" and the grand prize of $50,000. The contestants and the courses change every week, with over-the-top obstacles including the crowd favorite, the Big Balls. In the end, only one contestant will win, while everyone else will Wipeout!

"Wipeout" is hosted by John Anderson (ESPN's "SportsCenter") and John Henson (E! Entertainment's "Talk Soup"). Jill Wagner is co-host. "Wipeout" is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol holding. David Goldberg is the President and CEO of Endemol USA. The series is executive-produced by Matt Kunitz, and Scott Larsen and Shye Sutherland are co-executive producers.

Endemol USA is a leading producer of television programming specializing in reality and non-scripted genres for network and cable television. The company produces the break-out hits "Deal or No Deal," "1 vs. 100," "Fear Factor," "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Big Brother." Endemol USA is a division of Endemol Holding, a prominent international content developer, producer and distributor of television and online programming. The company, headquartered in the Netherlands, has subsidiaries and joint ventures in 21 countries, including the major European markets, the U.S., South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. Endemol Entertainment is a fully owned subsidiary of telecommunications giant Telef�nica S.A., one of the largest companies in Spain.